This invention relates to the production of olefinic chlorides, such as allyl chloride, from olefins having an allylic hydrogen by contacting the olefin with a chlorination composition.
Many processes are known for making allyl chloride. The known catalytic methods have not been used in commercial operation for a number of reasons including toxicity of the catalyst, cost of separating the products from the catalyst, cost of disposing of the solvent, production of undesirably high amounts of by-products, as well as less than desirable yields. For example, an oxychlorination is disclosed by Fujimoto et al. in Journal of Catalysis, Volume 43, pages 234-242 (1976) wherein oxygen, chlorine, and hydrogen chloride are contacted with propylene in the presence of a catalyst. It is noted by Fujimoto et al. at page 241, however, that when palladium chloride on carbon is the catalyst, the major product is 1,2-dichloropropane, not allyl chloride.
Hence, today, allyl chloride is produced by decades old technology wherein propylene and chlorine are reacted at high temperatures in the absence of catalyst. This process, however, is not without difficulties including production of undesirably high levels of polychlorinated by-products.
What is needed is an effective catalytic process to produce olefinic chlorides such as allyl chloride.